1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for washing all types of curtains, such as vertical blinds, drapes and the like, wherein the curtain is in a suspended and collapsed state.
Such devices are predominantly used in the service industry for cleaning purposes.
2. Description of Related Art
Devices for washing suspended vertical lamellae are known in the art and typically consist of a wash container placed on the floor with supply hookups and a spraying head which is suspended on the top end of the vertical lamellae and connected to the wash container via supply lines. The spraying head and the lamellae, which are collapsed as a block, are enclosed by a tubular foil to protect the surroundings.
The washing solution is supplied with the help of the supply hookup via the supply line from the wash container to the spraying head, where the washing solution exits under pressure and impinges on the lamellae. The washing solution runs down inside the tubular foil and is collected by a catch basin or directly by the wash container and made available again to the wash process.
Different types of spraying heads are known. For example, European Patent No. 352 496 B1 discloses a nozzle rod which hangs from the running rail. This nozzle rod is implemented as a flat plate, has a plurality of horizontal supply channels and vertical nozzle bores and is placed between the curtain and the running rail, so that the washing solution jets impinge on the lamellae from above.
This nozzle rod cannot be manufactured due to the dimensional requirements or cannot be used due to the tight space between the lamellae and the running rail.
German Patent No. 195 28 857 C1 discloses a spraying device for vertical lamellae wherein the spraying device is predominantly box-shaped and has an open bottom side, an open end face and a top side with an elongated slot. Two separate opposing nozzle rails, which extend in a longitudinal direction and have nozzles oriented in the horizontal direction, are located inside the box-shape spraying device. Each nozzle rail has a connection at a respective end face for a respective supply line.
The spraying device is placed on the top of the vertical lamellae, so that the jets of the washing solution impinge on the vertical lamellae from the side.
The spraying device is quite compact and heavy.
In operation, it has been observed that the wet vertical lamellae and the relatively heavy spraying device with the two supply lines and the tubular foil exert additional stress on the running rails which the running rails frequently cannot withstand. Since the load bearing capacity of running rails is not known in advance and also cannot be tested, running rails are frequently torn off.
It is an additional disadvantage that the upper region of the vertical lamellae is only partially cleaned, because the nozzle rails inside the spraying device cannot be placed at a sufficient height due to design constraints.
It is another disadvantage that the width of the individual nozzle rails is determined by the structural design. Only a relatively small free space remains between the two nozzle rails as a result of the width of the nozzle rails in relation to the fixed width of the spraying device. As a result, wider vertical lamellae are difficult to clean.
Moreover, washing devices with spraying devices that are placed on top of the lamellae have the disadvantage that they can be used only with vertical lamellae. These devices cannot be used to wash drapes and curtains because drapes and curtains do not provide the necessary support at their respective upper sections.
All of the aforedescribed washing devices have a common disadvantage in that the spraying devices form a rigid system which cannot be adapted on location to the different curtain types and attachment modes.
It is therefore an object to provide a device for washing the aforedescribed types of curtains with a spraying device, which can be used universally for all types of curtains and independent of the specific attachment mode of the curtain, and which cleans the curtains across the entire length with a uniform quality.